Prof. Audrey Gadzekpo who is the Director of the School of Communication, University of Ghana, Legon says the Ghanaian media are ready to do a professional job during the 2020 elections.
Ms Gadzekpo in an interview with Joy FM on Friday, May 3, 2019, said: “The media has come of age. They did great work in previous elections and I can say they will do better now. They have improved over time.â€
Speaking on the back of the World Press Freedom Day which is under the theme “Media for Democracy, Journalism and Elections in Times of Disinformation,†she urged the media to go beyond giving visibility to the issues and the political actors advancing them.
The media should “help us make sense of what they(politicians) are saying, helping us to know if they are making false claims, making sure that the people are helped to understand the issues,†she charged.
This year’s World Press Freedom Day is being marked in Ethiopia. There has been a remarkable expansion of the Ghanaian media over the years.
Prof. Audrey Gadzekpo
According to the National Communications Authority, there are 392 operational radio stations in Ghana and 128 licensed TV operators.
Read also: Ghana joins World Press Freedom Day celebration
Ghana boasts of a media pluralism and freedom that has been ranked first in Africa according to the World Press Freedom Index.
Recently there have been certian disturbing development in the Ghanaian media landscape, Ghana's ranking on the world press freedom index has dropped.
This year, Tiger eye PI staff, Ahmed Hussein Suale was assassinated whilst journalists with the New Times Corporation were also physically assaulted by some police officers. These incidents, according to media activists require media owners and state agencies to ensure journalists are safe on the job as the world marks press freedom day today.
World Freedom Day is held every year to celebrate the fundamental principles of press freedom, evaluate press freedom around the world, to defend the media from attacks and to pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the exercise of their profession.